Informality and mobility

Informality is a defining characteristic of labour markets in developing and transition countries. This paper analyzes patterns of mobility across different forms of formal and informal employment in Russia. Using the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey household panel we estimate a dynamic multinomial logit model with individual heterogeneity and correct for the initial conditions problem. Simulations show that structural state dependence is weak and that transition rates from informal to formal employment are not lower than from non-employment. These results lend support to the integrated view of the labour market.     

The recent worldwide economic crisis and the welfare of children: The case of Cuba

As a consequence of the deeply interdependent nature of today's world, Cuba has been affected by the world recession and by the critical roles of international trade and finance. However, the Cuban government has maintained a constant commitment to the protection of the poor and the children through increasing allocations of resources to education and health and through the promotion of increased levels of popular participation. This paper describes the improvements in the areas of nutrition, health and education and the persistent problems in the area of housing. It shows that the improvements observed have reached the majority of the population, eliminating great disparities.     

The impact of creative media advertising on consumer responses: two field experiments

Abstract

Creative media (CM) advertising is an advertising strategy wherein a non-traditional medium is creatively used for advertising purposes. This novel advertising strategy is gaining marketers’ interest; however, little is known about its persuasive effects on consumers’ cognitive, affective and behavioural responses and the processes that underlie them. Therefore, to convey a genuine experience to consumers, two field experiments with a one-factor (advertising type: creative vs. traditional) between-subjects design were conducted within a supermarket context. Results showed that creative (vs. traditional) media ads not only improve consumers’ affective and behavioural responses but also consumers’ cognitive responses. Even though no mediations were found through perceived surprise or perceived persuasive intent, results do provide evidence for the notion that perceived humor and perceived value are the underlying mechanisms through which affective and behavioural responses to creative media advertising can be explained.     

Multi-stakeholder platforms for linking small farmers to value chains: evidence from the Andes

Value chains linked to urban markets and agro-industry present new opportunities for adding value and raising rural incomes. Small farmers, who produce small volumes, struggle to enter these markets. A lack of trust among value chain actors increases transaction costs and short-circuits innovation. This paper explores how multi-stakeholder platforms have been used to address these problems in potato-based value chains in Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador. It uses the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework to understand how platforms work. Differences in characteristics of the value chains, the participating actors and institutional arrangements have led to the emergence of two types of platforms. The first type brings traders, processors, supermarkets and others together with farmer associations and research and development (R&D) organizations to foster the development of new market opportunities through commercial, institutional and technological innovation. The second type is structured around geographically delimited supply areas, meshing farmers and service providers to address market governance issues in assuring volumes, meeting quality and timeliness constraints and empowering farmers. Evidence from these cases indicates that platforms that bring stakeholders together around value chains can result in new products, processes, norms and behaviours that benefit poor farmers, which could not have been achieved otherwise.     

Systèmes De Gestion Des Ressources Humaines Et Performance Organisationnelle

Résumé ** :  La gestion des ressources humaines et son effet sur la performance de la firme représentent encore de nos jours une zone d'indétermination. Plusieurs théories tentent d'ailleurs d'expliquer cette importante relation. C'est l'approche configurationnelle des ressources humaines qui servira de filtre théorique à cette recherche. Validant cette approche auprès de 46 entreprises financières canadiennes, nous avons démontré, en partie du moins, la robustesse de cette approche stratégique de gestion des ressources humaines. Il ne fait aucun doute qu'une telle approche représente une alternative stratégique intéressante, capable d'accroître l'efficacité de nos firmes dans ce monde économique impitoyable et mondialisé.     

PERCEPTIONS A L'EGARD DES PRATIQUES EN GESTION DES RESSOURCES HUMAINES ET DE I'IMPORTANCE RELATIVE DES FONCTIONS ENSEIGNEMENT,RECHERCHE ET SERVICES A LA COLLECTIVITÉ: UNE ÉTUDE DESCRIPTIVE CHEZ DES PROFESSEURS D'ADMINISTRATION DES UNIVERSITÉS QUÉBÉCOISES***

This exploratory study concerns a group living a special situation inside the academic teaching profession: the business or management professors. Using a sample (N = 229) of management teachers coming from all Quebec universities, this study outlines the profile of their perceptions with regard to some practices in Human Ressource Management (H.R.M.) affecting them in different steps of their academic career. We are also interested in their perceptions about the relative importance of teaching, research and collectivity services. The results point out some apparently more problematic practices in H.R.M.: reception, control of sabbatical year of training and and finally fairness of wages. It also brings out, that the respondents, while giving teaching the highest score, would wish to be granted a significant reduction of time allowed to this activity in order to be able to concentrate their energy on research, which obtains the second higher score, above the collectivity services score. Nevertheless, the perceptions relative to the balance wanted in research vary significantly (p < 0,01) according to level of diplomes and tenure of the respondents; the implications of these results on the management of teaching resources are discussed.     

Investigating the persuasive impact and underlying processes of interactive magazine ads in a real-life setting

ABSTRACT

This study tests a theoretical framework to explain the persuasive impact of interactive magazine ads on consumers’ ad and brand attitudes. To obtain realistic (unforced) responses, a field experiment was conducted with a one-factor (interactive vs. non-interactive magazine ad) between-subjects design (N = 98). Results showed that, although they rarely used it, participants positively evaluated the presence of an interactive feature in a digital magazine ad. Furthermore, parallel-mediation analyses revealed that the interactive magazine ad was perceived as more interactive and more surprising than the non-interactive ad, which ultimately positively impacted consumers’ attitudes towards the magazine. A second real-life setting experiment (N = 121) confirmed and extended these findings by revealing that the mediation effects were even stronger when consumers had used the interactive feature (vs. only seen). In addition, the relationship between interactive magazine ads and consumers’ attitudinal responses was explained slightly better by ‘perceived surprise’ than by ‘perceived interactivity.’     

The effects of human resources management practices on the organizational performances of Canadian financial co-operatives

Reading through academic literature with a critical eye shows that the relation between human resources management (HRM) and the performance of the firm is a relatively unknown phenomenon. This relation is sometimes described as a "black box". Far from claiming to have closed the debate, this article sets forth an original approach that represents an undisputable input which allows a better understanding of this phenomenon.
Even if there are many theories that try to explain this relation, only the universalistic approach of human resources will be of interest. While using both a qualitative and a quantitative approach, our research shows that some HRM practices do seem to give a competitive advantage to Canadian financial co-operative enterprises.